Won co As (080 





1902 


Historical Sketch 


of the... 


Woman's Foreign 
Missionary Society 


Presbyterian Church 


Philadelphia, Pa. 
501 Witherspoon Building 





HISTORICAL SKETCH. 


TERRITORY-—Synods of Atlantic, Baltimore, 
Catawba, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania 
and Tennessee. 


HIS Society originated in a quickening of ~ 
T conscience on the part of a few Christian 
women in Philadelphia. There was no 
pressure from without, no call from the Board 
of Foreign Missions, but the Holy Spirit 
moved upon their hearts, until they felt that 
they could have no rest to their souls until 
an organized effort was begun by Presby- 
terian women for the salvation of their 
heathen sisters. At this time the Presby- 
terian Board of Foreign Missions had in its 
service twenty-two unmarried lady Missiona- 
ries, and eighteen or twenty native women as 
Bible-readers or Visitors. In the fall of 1869, 
a lady connected with the Woman’s Union 
Missionary Society, asked another Presby- 
terian lady, ‘‘Why do not Presbyterian 
women have such a Society of their own?”’ 
The question sank into her heart, for she had 
from childhood loved the cause of Missions, 
and after much prayer and thought, it re- 
sulted in several ladies and pastors being 
called upon and the subject presented to 
them. Some doubted, others welcomed the 


suggestion, and a few earnest women gladly 
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shared these early efforts, aiding by words 
written and spoken, the object in view; while 
one who was intimately identified with the 
movement from the first, probably gave it its 
present shape, by urging that the approval 
of the Board of Foreign Missions should be 
secured. After several informal preliminary 
meetings a Constitution was drafted in May, 
1870, was submitted to the Board of Foreign 
Missions, and returned, approved by them, 
in the following June. On October 4th, of 
the same year (1870) the Woman’s Foreign 
Missionary Society was formally organized. 
As a matter of historical interest, the names 
of the first officers are given :— President, Mrs. 
W. HE. Schenck; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. Z. M. 
Humphrey, Mrs. D. A. Cunningham, Mrs. E. 
P. Wilson, Mrs. William Strong; Recording 
Secretary, Mrs. H. D. Gregory ; Foreign Corres- 
ponding Secretary, Mrs. M. B. Grier ; Home Cor- 
responding Secretary, Mrs S. C. Perkins; Treas- 
urer, Mrs. J. D. McCord; and a Board of 
wenty Managers. Large numbers of circu- 
lars and personal letters were at once sent 
throughout the entire Church. Speedy and 
cordial responses from all parts of the 
country, proved that a work of preparation 
had been quietly going on in many hearts. 
On April 27, 1871, the first Annual Meeting 
was held, six months after organization, in the 
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Lecture Room of Calvary Church, and the 
following results were reported : Thirty-seven 
Auxiliaries, twelve of which had each as- 
sumed the support of a Missionary ; twenty- 
five Mission Bands; fifteen Missionaries, 
under the care of the Society—and in money, 
$5,244.96. During the same month WoMAN’S 
WorK FOR WOMAN was begun, and with the 
July number it became the joint publication 
of this Society and the Woman’s Presbyterian 
Board of Missions of the Northwest. It was 
at first a quarterly, with a subscription list of 
five hundred names ; price fifty cents per annum. 

In May, 1871, the General Assembly gave its 
hearty sanction to the work of this Society, 
using, among others, the following words: 
“They are pushing the work of organization 
and kindling the fires of Christian fervor in 
all parts of the Church. * * * The General 
Assembly recognizes the hand of God and 
the spirit of pious consecration and prayer in 
this whole movement.’”’ 

In March, 1872, WOMAN’s WorK became a 
bi-monthly, and a room for office purposes 
was kindly granted us at 1334 Chestnut Street 
by the Board of Publication. 

Among the plans adopted in this year was 
that of Presbyterial organization, which has 
proved so efficient an arm of the Society; also 

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the Sabbath afternoon hour of prayer, from 
five to six o'clock. 

In 1874, a monthly prayer meeting was es- 
tablished, and is still held on the third Tues- 
day of each month, at rr A.M. 

In March, 1875, WoMAN’s Work became a 
monthly ; its subscription list, of nearly ten 
thousand, seeming to warrant the advance 
step. ‘ 

In January, 1876, CHILDREN'S WoRK FOR 
CHILDREN was begun, as a monthly. In 
April, 1879, it became the organ of all the 
Women’s Foreign Missionary organizations 
of the Presbyterian Church, under the aus- 
pices of the Board of Foreign Missions. With 
the January number of 1894, the union of 
Home and Foreign Missions in the magazine 
was begun, and the name changed to ‘‘ OvER 
SEA AND LAND.”’ 

In order to be able to hold property, and to 
fully establish the organization, a charter was 
obtained early in 1883. 

In 1885, under a new agreement with the 
other Societies and Boards, for the purpose of 
territorial adjustment, our Society recom- 
mended its organizations in New York State 
to transfer their connection to the Woman’s 
Board of Foreign Missions, New York. 

In December, 1885, WOMAN’s WorRK, so long 
published at 1334 Chestnut Street, Philadel- 

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phia, was transferred to New York City, and 
is now published at 156 Fifth Avenue, New 
York, as the organ of all the Women’s Foreign 
Missionary organizations of the Presbyterian 
Church. 

In May, 1902, the general summary was as 
follows: Presbyterial Societies, 55; Auxilia- 
ries, 1,645; Bands and Sunday-schools, 953 ; 
Wp ES. > Cope 075 fe Vee Oem ams Neha 
and intermediate, 328. Missionaries sup- 
ported, 188 inclusive of 21 new Missionaries 
supported by Y. P.S,C. E. Boarding Schools 
(whole or in part) 35 ; Day Schools, 108. 

In 1897, by arrangement with the Assem- 
bly’s Board, Sunday-school work was trans- 
ferred to that Board, and Christian Endeavor 
work all committed to the women’s boards. 

The total amount of money raised by this 
Society in its thirty-two years of existence 
has been $3,786,274.72. 





Price 1 cent; 10 cents per dozen, _ 





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